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Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches 


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D 
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10X  14X  18X  22X 


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SOX 


n 

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1 

2 

3 

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d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  teile 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  filmd  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
at  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
Mlustrent  la  m6thode. 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

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6 

c 


THB   GESTURE   SrEECH   OF   MAN. 


ADDRESS 


COL  GARRICK  MALLERY,  U,  S,  A 


(CHAIRMAN  OF  SUBSECTION  OF  ANTHROPOLOGY) 


BEVORE  THE 


AMERICAN  ASSOCIATION 


FOH  THB 


ADVANCEMENT    OF    SCIENCE 


AT  CINCINNATI,  OHIO. 


AUGUST,  1881. 


[RBPMNTED    from    vol.    XXX    OF    THE    PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    AMERICAN 
ASSOCIATION  FOR  THE  AUVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE.] 


SALEM: 

PRINTED  AT  THE  SALEM  PRESS. 

1881. 


if 

r 

-I 


'^ 


THE    GESTURE   SPEECfl  O 


ADDRESS 


nv 


COL  GARRICK  MALLERY 


(CHAIRMAN  OF  SUBSECTION  OF  ANTHROPOLOGY) 


BEVORE  THE 


AMERICAN  ASSOCIATION 


FOR  TUB 


ADVANCEMENT    OF    SCIENCE 


AT  CINCINNATI,  OHIO. 


AUGUST,  1881. 


[REFRIMTED    FROM    VOL.    XXX    OF    THE    PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE    AMERICAN 
A880CIATION  FOR  THE  ADVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE.] 


SALEM: 

FRIMTED  AT  THE  SALEM  PRESS. 

1881. 


'•iy»''y4^jKfeSfess*.»AW-»ji^gggg'i^fe^vW^ 


i,iriV.«  Liiim:    I'    11"  I  iiiilt:ilWi'liitt"""'w  I 


r- 

i 


ADDRESS 


BY 


COL.  GARRICK  MALLERY,  U.  S.  A. 

CHAIRMAN   OF    SUBSECTION   OF    ANTIIUOPOLOGY. 


THE  GESTURE  SPEECH   OF    MAN. 


Anthropology  tells  the  march  of  mankind  out  of  savagery. 
In  that  march  some  peoples  have  led  with  tlie  fleet  course  of 
videttes  or  the  sturdy  stride  of  pioneers,  some  have  only  plodded 
on  the  roads  opened  by  tlie  vanguard,  while  others  still  lag  in  the 
unordered  rear,  mere  dragweights  to  the  column.  All  commenced 
their  progress  toward  civilization  from  a  point  of  departure  lower 
than  tlie  stage  reached  by  the  lowest  of  the  tribes  now  found  on 
earth,  and  all,  even  the  most  advanced,  have  retained  marks  of 
their  rude  origin.  These  marks  are  of  the  same  kind,  though 
differing  in  distinctness,  and  careful  search  discovers  the  fact  that 
none  are  missing,  showing  that  there  is  a  common  source  to  all 
the  forms  of  intellectual  and  social  development,  notwithstanding 
their  present  diversities.  Perhaps  the  most  notable  criterion  of 
ditferei'  :  's  in  the  copiousness  and  precision  of  oral  language, 
and  in  t'l-  unequal  survival  of  the  communication  by  gesture 
signs  whica,  it  is  believed,  once  universally  prevailed.  The  phe- 
nomena of  that  mode  of  human  utterance,  wherever  it  still  appears, 
require  examination  as  an  instructive  \estige  of  the  prehistoric 
epoch.  In  this  respect  the  preeminent  gesture  system  of  the 
North  American  Indians  calls  for  study  in  comparison  with  other 
less  developed  or  more  degenerate  systems.  It  may  solve  prob- 
lems in  psychologic  comparative  philology  not  limited  to  the 
single  form  of  speech,  but  embracing  all  modes  of  expressing 
ideas.     Perhaps,  therefore,  a  condensed  report  of  such  study  pur- 

(8) 


-)iiil>:irtil*iiiW'' 


4  AODUKSS   OK   GAIIKICK    MAU.EUT, 

8U0(1  wi'h  advantiijfcs  posscsHcd  by  f«w  porHons  even  in  this 
couiitiy  will,  on  this  occiision,  bo  an  nccoiitablo  contribution  as 
illuHliatiiif,'  tlu'  f?ostiiiP  speocli  of  man. 

So  far  as  the  use  of  gentuio  Higns  continued,  however  origi- 
nating,  in  the  necessity  for  conununication  between   peoples  of 
dilferent  oral  speech,  North  America  shows  more  favorable  con- 
ditions for  its  develoi)inent  than  any  other  thoroughly  exi)lorea 
part  of  the  world.      In  that  great  continent  the   precolumbian 
population  was,  as  is  now  believed,  scanty,   and  so  subdivided 
dialectically,  that  the  members  of  but  few  bands  could  readily 
converse  with  others.      The   number  of  now  defined   stocks  or 
families  of  Indian  languages  within  the  territory  of  the  United 
States  amounts  to  sixty-five,  and  these  .litter  among  themselves 
as  radically  as  each  differs  from  the  Hebrew,  Chinese,  or  English. 
In  each  of  these  linguistic  families  there  are  several,  sometimes 
as  many  as  twenty,  separate   languages,  which  also  diff-er  from 
each  other  as  much  as  do  the  English,  French,  German  and  Per- 
sian divisions  of  the  Aryan  linguistic  stock. 

The  conditions  upon  which  the  survival  of  sign  language  among 
the  Indians  has  depended  are  well  shown  by  those  attending  its 
discontinuance  among  certain  tribes.     The  growth  of  the  mongrel 
tono-ue,  called  the  Chinook  jargon,  arising  from  the  same  causes 
that  produced  the  pigeon-English,  or  lingua  franca  of  the  Orient, 
explains  the  known  recent  disuse  of  systematic  signs  among  the 
Kalapuyas  and  other  tribes  of   the   North   Pacific  coast.     The 
Alaskan  tribes  also  generally  used  signs  not  more  than  a  genera- 
tion aero.     Before  the  advent  of  the  Russians  the  coast  Alaskans 
traded'  their  dried  fish  and  oil  for  the  skins  and  paints  of  the 
eastern  tribes  by  visiting  the  latter,  whom  they  did  not  allow  to 
come  to  tiie  coast,  and  this  trade  was  conducted  mainly  in  sign 
lancruage.    The  Russians  brought  a  better  market,  so  the  travel 
to  the  "interior  ceased,  and  with  it  the  necessity  for  the  signs, 
which  therefore  gradually  died  out,  and  are  little  known  to  the 
present  generation  on  the  coast,  though  still  continuing   in  the 
interior  where  the  inhabitants  are  divided  by  dialects. 

No  explanation  is  needed  for  the  gradual  disuse  of  signs  for 
the  special  purpose  of  intertribal  communication  when  the  speech 
of  surrounding  civilization  becomes  known  as  the  best  common 
medium.  When  that  has  become  general,  and  there  is  a  compelled 
end  both  to  hunting  and  warfare,  signs,  as  systematically  employed 


ciuiKMAN  OF  srnsECTioN  OF  ANTiinorot.oov.  o 

before,  fiidn  ivwny,  or  survive  only  in  fornial  oratory  nnd  inipivs- 
siuned  conversation. 

THEORIES    ENTERTAINEU   UESPECTINO    INDIAN    8I(;NS. 

It  is  not  now  proposed  to  pronounce  upon  tlieories.  Tiie  rnero 
collection  of  fiicts  ciinnot,  however,  he  prosecuted  to  iidviinliifio 
witliont  predetermined  rules  of  direction,  nor  can  tliey  be  classi- 
fied at  all  without  the  adoption  of  some  i)rinciple  which  involves 
a  tentative  theory.  Now,  also,  since  tin-  <;reat  principle  of  evo- 
lution has  been  Itrouglit  to  general  notice,  no  one  will  be  satislled 
with  knowing  a  fact  without  also  trying  to  establish  its  relation  to 
other  facts.  Therefore  a  working  hypothesis,  which  shall  not  bo 
held  to  with  tenacity,  is  not  only  allowable  but  necessary.  It  ia 
likewise  proper  to  examine  with  respect  the  theories  adianced 
by  others. 

NOT   COKKELATED    WITH    MEAOERNESS   OK    LANOL'AfJE. 

The  ever  unconfirmed  rejwrt  of  travellers  that  certain  lan- 
guages cannot  be  clearly  understood  in  the  dark  by  their  pos- 
sessors, using  their  mother  tongue  between  themselves,  when  as- 
serted, as  it  often  has  been,  in  reference  to  any  of  the  tribes 
of  North  America,  is  absolutely  false.  It  must  be  attributed  to 
the  error  of  visitors,  who  seldom  see  the  natives  except  when 
trying  to  make  themselves  intelligible  to  them  by  a  practice  which 
they  have  found  by  experience  to  have  been  successful  with  stran- 
gers to  their  tongue.  Captain  Burton  specially  states  that  the 
Arapahos  possess  a  ver}'  scanty  vocabulary,  pronounced  in  a  quasi- 
unintelligible  wtt}',  and  can  hardly  converse  with  one  another  in 
the  dark.  The  truth  is  that  their  vocabidary  is  by  no  means 
scanty,  and  they  do  converse  with  each  other  with  perfect  freedom 
without  any  gestures  when  they  so  please.  The  same  distin- 
guished explorer  also  gives  a  story  "  of  a  man  who,  being  sent 
among  the  Cheyennes  to  quality  himself  for  interpreting,  re- 
turned in  a  week  and  proved  his  competency ;  all  he  did,  how- 
ever, was  to  go  through  the  usual  pantomine  with  a  running 
accompaniment  of  grunts."  And  he  might  as  well  have  omitted 
the  grunts,  for  obviously  he  only  used  sign  language. 

The  similar  accusation  made  against  the  Shoshonian  stock,  that 
their  tongue,  without  signs,  was  too  meager  for  understanding,  is 
refuted  by  my  own  experience.  When  Ouray,  the  late  head  chief 
of  the  Utes,  was  last  at  Washington,  after  an  interview  with  the 


, 


»^S?-<5gS*;^5iFt.- 


8  ADHUKHS    OK    (lAHUICK    MAM.KUY, 

Socrotnry  of  tlip  Inlorior,  lio  iniuh'  n-port  of  it  to  tlie  others  of  tlio 
.U'lojiation  who  Iwul  not  Ihh-u  |.ics.-iil.  llu  spoke  without  piuiHO 
in  iiFs  own  liin-iuajie  for  ni'Uiiy  iin  honr,  in  a  monotone  iind  with- 
ont  u  sinjile  frosture.  Tiie  reason  for  liiis  depressed  nmnner  wii8 
iindoul.tedly  hecause  lie  wiis  very  sud  lit  llie  resnit,  involvinf?  h)S9 
of  land  iin.i  change  of  iioine  ;  but  the  faet  remains  that  ftdl  in- 
formation was  conmnmicated  on  a  complicated  subject  without 
tlie  aid  of  a  manual  sign,  and  also  without  even  sudi  change  of 
inllcclion  of  voice  as  is  common  among  Europeans.  All  theories! 
l)a.ied  upon  the  supi)osed  poverty  of  American  languages  must  bo 

ubandoned. 

The  grievous  accusation  against  foreign  people  that  they  have 
no   intelligible   language   is   venerable   and   general.     With    the 
Greeks  the  term  uyM„<rno<;,  "  tongueless,"  was  used  synonymous 
with   ,J«/',J'//'<N-,  "barbarian,"  of    dl  who  were  not  (Jreck.     The 
name  "  Slav,"  assumed  by  a  grand  division  of  the  Aryan  family, 
means  "  the  speaker,"  and  is  contradistinguished  from  the  other 
peoples  of  the  world,  such  as  the   Germans,  who  are  called  in 
llussian  "  Njemez,"  that  is,  "  speechless."     In  Isaiah  (xxxiii,  1!)) 
the  Assyrians  are  called  a  people  "  of  a  stammering  tongue,  tluit 
one   cannot   u  .derstand,"     The  common  use  of  the  expressions 
"tongueless"  and  "speechless,"  so  applied,  has  probably  given 
vise   to   the   mythical   stories   of   actually    speechless   tribes   of 
savages,  and  the  instances  now  presented  tend  to  discredit  the 
many  other  accounts  of  languages  which  are  incomplete  without 
the   help   of  gesture.     Tlie   theory   that   sign   language   was   in 
whole  or  in   chief  the   original   utterance  of  mankind  would  be 
strongly  supported  by  conclusive  evidence  to  the  truth  of  such 
traveUers'  tales,  but  does  not  depend  upon  them.   Nor,  considering 
the  immeasurable  period  during  which,  in  accordance  with  modern 
geologic  views,  man  has  been  on  the  earth,  is  it  probable  that  any 
existing  peoples  can  be  found  among  whom  speech  has  not  obvi- 
ated  the  absolute  necessity  for  gesture  in  communication  between 
themselves.     The  signs   survive   for  convenience,  used  together 
with  oral  language,  and  for  special  employment  when  language  is 
unavailable. 

ITS    ORIGIN    FROM    ONE   TRIBR    OR    REGION. 

My  correspondents  in  the  Indian  country  have  often  contended 
that  sign  language  was  invented  by  a  certain  tribe  in  a  particular 
region  from  which  its  knowledge  spread  among  other  tribes  in- 


ClIAinMAN   OK   SrnSKrTION   OF    ANTIIKOI'OI.OOV.  7 

vorsply  ns  their  distixncc  from,  nnd  diroctly  as  their  Intoroonrso 
witli,  tlio  iillcKed  inveiito.s.  lliifortuimtely  there  is  no  nfireeinent 
an  to  tlie  latter,  (irid  prohalily  tlie  aceidciit  tlmt  tlie  Heveriil  eorrc- 
Hpoiideiits  met,  in  certain  triiien,  specially  skilful  si>i;n-talkers, 
delerminc.t  their  opinions.  The  theory  also  supposes  a  conipariv- 
tively  recent  origin  of  sij^n  lanKUii^^fS  whereas  so  far  ns  can  be 
traced,  the  conditions  favorahle  to  it  existed  very  lonu;  njjo  and 
were  coextensive  with  the  territory  of  North  America  occupied  hy 
any  of  the  tribes.  Some  writers  conllno  its  use  to  tlie  Great 
Plains.  It  is,  however,  ascertained  to  have  prevailed  amoiip;  tho 
Iroquois,  Wyandots,  Ojibwas,  and  at  least  three  generaticnis 
back  anions  tho  Crecs  and  the  Mandaiis  and  other  far  northern 
Dakotas.  Home  of  these  and  many  other  tribes  of  the  United 
States  never  habiting  the  Plains,  as  also  tho  Kutchins  of  eastern 
Alaska  and  the  Kutiuc  and  Selish  of  British  Columbia,  use  signs 
now.  Instead  of  referring  to  some  past  period  when  they  did  not 
use  signs,  many  Indians  examined  speak  of  a  time  when  they  or 
their  fathers  employed  them  more  freely  and  copiously  than  at 
present. 

Perhaps  tho  most  salutary  criticism  to  be  offered  regarding  tho 
theory  would  be  in  the  form  of  a  query  whether  sign  language  has 
ever  been  invented  by  any  one  body  of  people  at  any  one  time, 
and  whether  it  is  not  simply  a  phase  in  evolution,  surviving  and 
reviving  when  needed.  Not  only  does  the  burden  of  proof  rest 
unfavorably  upon  the  attempt  to  establish  one  parent  stock  for 
sign  language  in  North  America,  but  it  also  comes  under  tho 
Btigma  now  fastened  upon  the  immemorial  effort  to  name  and 
locate  tho  original  oral  speech  of  man.  It  is  only  next  in  dilll- 
culty  to  tho  old  persistent  determination  to  decide  upon  the 
origin  of  tlio  whole  Indian  "  race,"  in  which  most  peoples  of  an- 
tiquity in  tho  eastern  hemisphere,  including  the  lost  tribes  of 
Israel,  tho  Gipsies,  and  the  Welsh,  have  figured  conspicuously  as 
putative  parents. 

SIGN   LANGUAGE   NOT  UNIFORM. 

The  general  report  that  there  is  but  one  sign  language  in  North 
America,  any  deviation  from  which  is  either  blunder,  corruption, 
or  a  dialect  in  the  nature  of  provincialism,  originated  with  sign 
talkers  in  several  regions.  Now  a  mere  sign  talker  is  often  a 
bad   authority  upon  principles  and  theories.     He  may  not  be 


irnr^TT^aKSi-;;: 


"jTiSf-.-a^r'^'-'i-sse^^sr^F 


rT"'~i."  :i?J5Et-~=  7^ 


T 


8 


ADDRESS    OF    (lARRICK    MALLERY, 


►I 


liable  to  the  satirical  compliment  of  Dickens'  "brave  courier," 
who  "  understood  all  languages  indifferently  ill ;"  but  many  men 
speak  sonic  one  language  fluently,  and  yet  are  wholly  unable  to 
explain  or  analyze  its  words  and  forms  so  a»  to  teach  it  to  an- 
other, or  even  to  give  an  intelligent  summary  or  classification  of 
their  own  knowledge.     What  such  a  sign  talker  has  learned  is  by 
memorizing,  as  a  cliild  learns  English,  and  though  both  the  sign 
talivcr  and  the  ciiiid  may  be  able  to  give  some  separate  items  use- 
ful to  a  philologist  or  foreigner,  such  items  are  spoiled  when  col- 
ored by  the  attempt  of  ignorance  to  theorize.     A  German  who 
has   studied   English   to   thorough   mastery,  except  in  the  mero 
facility  of  speech,  may  in  a  discussion  upon  some  of  its  principles 
be  contradicted  by  any  mere  English  speaker,  who  insists  upon 
his  superior  knowledge  because  he  actually  speaks  the  language 
and  his  antagonist  does  not,  but  the  student  will  probably  be  cor- 
rect  and  the  talker  wrong.     It  is  an  old  adage  about  oral  speech 
that  a  man  who  understands  but  one  language  understands  none. 
The  science  of  a  sign  talker  possessed  by  a  restrictive  theory  is 
like  that  of  Mirabeau,  who  was  greater  as  an  orator  than  as  a 
philologist,  and  who  on  a  visit  to  England  gravely  argued  that 
there  was  something  seriously  wrong  in  the  British  mind  because 
the  people  would  persist  in  saying  "give  me  some  bread"  Instead 
of  " donnez-moi  du  pain"  which  was  so  much  easier  and  more 
natural.     When  a  sign  is  presented  which  such  a  sign  talker  has 
not  before  seen,  he  will  at  once  condemn  it  as  bad,  just  as  a 
United  States  Minister  to  Vienna,  who  had  been  nursed  in  the 
mongrel  Dutch  of  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  declared  that  the 
people  of  Germany  spoke  very  bad  German. 

An  argument  for  the  uniformity  of  the  signs  of  Indians  is 
derived  from  the  fact  that  those  used  by  any  of  them  are  generally 
understood  by  others.  But  signs  may  be  understood  without 
being  identical  with  any  before  seen.  It  is  a  common  experience 
that  when  Indians  find  a  sign  which  has  become  conventional 
among  their  tribe  not  to  be  understood  by  an  interlocutor,  a  self- 
expressive  sign  is  substituted  for  it,  from  which  a  visitor  may  form 
the  impression  that  there  are  no  conventional  signs.  It  may 
likewise  occur  that  the  self-expressive  sign  substituted  will  be  met 
with  by  a  visitor  in  several  localities,  different  Indians,  in  their 
ingenuity,  taking  the  best  and  the  oame  means  of  reaching  the 
exotic  intelligence. 


I 
I 

I 


N 


CHAIRMAN    or    SUBSECTION   OF    ANTHROPOLOGY.  V 

There  is  some  evidence  that  where  sign  language  is  now  found 
among  Indian  tribes  it  has  become  more  uniform  tlianever  before, 
simply  because  many  tril)es  liave  for  pome  time  past  been  forced 
to  dwell  near  together  at  peace.  The  resulting  uniformity  in 
tiiese  cases  might  either  be  considered  as  a  jargon  or  as  the  nat- 
ural tendency  to  a  com^yromise  for  mutual  understanding  —  tiie 
unification  so  often  observed  in  oral  speech  coming  under  many 
circumstances  out  of  former  heterogeneity.  The  rule  is  that 
dialects  precede  languages  and  that  out  of  many  dialects  comes 
one  language. 

Tlie  process  of  the  formation  and  introduction  of  signs  is  the 
same  among  Indians  as  often  observed  among  deaf-mutes.  When 
a  number  of  those  unfortunate  jiersons,  possessed  only  of  such 
crude  signs  as  were  used  by  each  among  his  speaking  relatives 
come  together  for  a  considerable  time,  they  are  at  first  only  able 
to  communicate  on  a  few  subjects,  but  the  number  of  those  and 
the  general  scope  of  expression  will  be  continually  enlarged. 
Each  one  commences  with  his  own  conception  and  his  own  pre- 
sentment of  it,  but  the  universality  of  the  medium  used  makes  it 
sooner  or  later  understood.  This  independent  developnent  often 
renders  the  first  interchange  of  tiiought  between  straiigeis  slow, 
for  the  signs  must  be  self-interpreting.  There  can  be  no  natural 
universal  language  which  is  absolute  and  arbitrary.  When  used 
without  convention,  as  sign  language  alone  of  all  modes  of  ut- 
terance can  be,  it  must  be  tentative,  experimental,  and  flexible. 
The  mutes  will  also  resort  to  the  invention  of  new  signs  for  new 
ideas  as  the\'  arise,  which  will  be  made  intelligible,  if  necessary, 
through  the  illustration  and  definition  given  by  signs  formerly 
adopted.  The  fittest  signs  will  in  due  course  be  evolved,  after  riv- 
alry and  trial,  and  will  survive.  But  there  may  not  always  be  such 
a  pre()onderance  of  fitness  that  all  but  one  of  the  rival  signs  shall 
die  out,  and  some  being  equal  in  value  to  express  the  same  idea  or 
object,  will  continue  to  be  used  indifferently,  or  as  a  matter  of  indi- 
vidual taste,  without  confusion.  A  multiplication  of  the  num- 
bers confined  together,  either  of  deaf-mutes  or  of  Indians  whose 
speech  is  diverse,  will  not  decrease  the  resulting  uniformity, 
though  it  will  increase  both  the  copiousness  and  the  precision 
of  the  vocabulary.  The  Indian  use  of  signs,  though  maintained 
by  linguistic  diversities,  is  not  coincident  with  any  linguistic 
boundai'ies.    The  tendency  is  to  their  uniformity  among  groups 


^r^^^^^^^i&f-^''\"^^^'^^^  '^^■Sfy'^^^Pvi* 


.A  ADDKE9S    OF    OARRICK    MALI.ERT, 

Of  people  wl.o  from  any  cause  arc  brought  into  contaet  .•ith 
e  d  ol.or  while  slill  speuUin,  clKTerenl  languages.  1  he  lo  g  • 
"ul  elosor  su.-h  eoutaot,  while  no  eonnuon  tongue  .3  a.lopted. 
the  <rreater  will  I'e  the  uniforn.ity  ot  signs.  ,  ^     „      .  ,  „ 

S<:,ne  writers  take  a  nmUlle  ground  with  regard  to  the  ulen- 
titv  :r\ho  sign  language  of  the   North  An^riean     -;;--- 
paring   it  with  the   dialects  and    provincnvhsms  of  the   Kngl.sh 
Pu    n^^e.  as  spoken  in  England,  Ireland,  Scotland  and  AN  ales. 
B  r     :«;  ..iadts  are  the  ren.ains  of  actually  diverse  la.^,ag^, 
thich  to  son>c  speakers  have  not  become   integrated      In  Kng- 
W  alone  the  provincial   dialects  are  traceable  as   the  legaces 
of  S.  xo  s    An.  les,  Jutes,  and   Danes,  with  a  varying   amount 
K    r.  t:^e.;e.      ;   thorough   scholar   in   the   c^^n^^ 
ton<^ue,  now  called  English,  will  be  able  to  "'nlerstaud  a U  t^e 
di  feet     and  provincialisms  of  English  in  the  Br.t.sh  Isles,  but 
:    ducated  man  of  Yorkshire   is  not  able   to   eo'umnu.c^ 

ndily  with  the  equally  uneducated  man  of  Some.setslu  e       Ih 
\l  the  true  distinction.     A  thorough  sign  talker  would  be  able 

0  talkV.th  several  Indians  who  have  no  signs  .n  c-nmon  and 
lo,  if  their  knowledge  of  signs  were  only  "-"-'-^J-;  •\."^; 
communicate  with  each  other.  So,  also,  as  an  e.lucated  Eng bsh 
Z"      understand   the   attempts  of  a  foreigner   to  speak  u. 

"  ;       pe    ect  and  broken  English,  a  good   Indian   s,gn-expe 
"l    apFehend  the   feeblest  efforts  of  a  tyro  u,  gestures      Bu 

1  e  i.  Jrence  that  there  is  but  one  true  Indian  s,gn  l-'g-^g«'     ' 

^Tthere  is  but  one  true  English  ^-^-''^^-'/V^Ttl^T.  il     1 
can  be  shown  that  a  much  larger  proportion  of  the  Indians  w  lo 
.      signs  at  all,  than  present  researelies  show  to  be  the  cas  ,  u 
identically  the  same  signs  to  express  the  same  ideas      It  ^'^ 
a  so  seem  necessary  to  the  parallel  that  the  signs  so  nsed  should  be 
aCol  te"  if  not  arbitrary,  as  are  the  words  of  an  ora  languag 
:;d  not'  independent  of  preconcert   -^.f  ^-'"^J^f ';;.;/  , 
instant  of  their  invention  or  first  exhibition,  as  all   t.ue  signs 
must  originally  have  been  and  still  measurably  remain. 

ARE    SIUNS    CONVENTIONAL    OR    INSTINCTIVE? 

There  has  been  much  discussion  on  the  question  whether  ges- 
tuic  sh^ns  were  originally  invented,  in  the  strict  sense  of  that 
t    1,  ^"  hether  th^y  result  from  a  natural  connection  between 


CHAIRMAN    OF    SUBSECTION    OF    ANTHROPOI.OGr. 


11 


tliom  and  the  ideas  roprcacnted  by  tlicin,  tliat  is,  wliotlicr  thoy 
arc  oonvoiitional  or  iiistinctivo.  Cardinal  Wisoinan  {Essaiis,  III, 
5;J7)  thinks  they  are  of  Itolii  cliaracters  ;  hut  rclerring  particularly 
to  the  Italian  signs  and  the  proper  mode  of  discovering  their 
meaning,  he  observes  that  they  are  used  primarily  with  words  and 
form  the  usual  accompaniment  of  certain  phrases.  "For  these 
the  gestures  become  substitutes,  and  then  by  association  express 
all  their  meaning,  even  when  used  alone."  This  would  be  tlie 
process  only  where  systematic  gestures  had  never  prevailed  or 
had  been  so  disused  as  to  be  forgotten,  and  were  ado|)ted  after 
elaborate  oral  phrases  and  traditional  oral  expressions  had  be- 
come common.  Sign  language  as  a  product  of  evolution  has 
been  deveioi)ed  rather  than  invented,  and  yet  it  seems  probable 
that  each  of  the  separate  signs,  like  the  several  steps  that  lead 
to  any  true  invention,  had  a  definite  origin  arising  out  of  some 
appropriate  occasion,  and  the  same  sign  may  in  this  manner  have  • 
had  many  independent  origins  due  to  identity  in  the  circum- 
stances, or,  if  lost,  may  have  been  reproduced. 

Another  form  of  the  query  is  whether  signs  are  arbitrary  or 
natural.  An  unphilosophic  answer  will  often  be  made  in  ac- 
cordance with  what  the  observer  considers  to  be  natural  to  him- 
self. A  common  sign  among  both  de.if-uuites  and  Indians  for 
tvonian  consists  in  designating  the  arrangement  of  the  hair,  but 
such  a  represented  arrangement  of  hair  familiar  to  the  gesturer 
as  had  never  been  seen  by  the  person  addressed  would  not  seem 
"natural"  to  the  latter.  It  would  be  classed  as  arbitrary,  and 
could  not  be  understood  without  context  or  explanation,  indeed 
without  translation  such  as  is  required  from  foreign  oral  speech. 
Signs  most  njvturally,  that  is  appropriately,  expressing  a  con- 
ception of  the  thing  signified,  are  first  adopted  from  circumstances 
of  environment,  and  afterwards  modified  so  as  to  ajjpear,  with- 
out full  understanding,  conventional  and  arbitrary,  yet  the}'  are  as 
truly  "natural"  as  the  signs  for  hearing,  seeing,  eating,  and 
drinking,  which  continue  all  over  the  world  as  they  were  first 
formed  because  there  is  no  change  iu  those  operations. 

Perhaps  no  signs  in  common  use  are  in  their  origin  conven- 
tional. What  appears  to  be  conventionality  largely  consists  in 
the  form  of  abbreviation  which  is  agreed  upon.  When  the  signs 
of  the  Indians  have  from  ideographic  form  become  demotic, 
they  may  be  roughly  called  conventional,  but  still  not  arbitrary. 


I 


^^^^ismimmu:i'imiim'^'vi»^^!rmr'-y 


12 


AUDHES9    OF    OARKICK    MALLEKT, 


SOME   NATUUAb   SIGNS    CONVENTIONAUZF.D. 

But  wbilo  all  In.lians,  rs  all  gesturing  men,  Imve  many  natural 
siJn"  in  Common,  tl.ey  use  many  others  which  have  become  con^ 
Sonal  in  the  sense  that  their  origin  ^^^  ^^^^^ 
row  known  or  regarded  by  the  persons  us.ng  them.  The  con  en 
ti^s  y  whicl,  the  latter  were  established  occurred  dur.ng  long 
pe  od  when  the  tribes  forming  them  were  so  separated  as  to 
hn^  s'taK^ished  altogether  diverse  customs  and  u,ytholog,es,  and 
Xn  the  several  tribes  were  exposed  to  such  different  env.romnents 
It^lave  formed  varying  conceptions  needing  appropnate  s,gn 

tlie  tulinauon  i  j.    j,     ^,,^,,.  |,ji,r,  ,s  not  a 

hair  of  the  head,  or  ^y.th  the  removal  o.  ^  ,,„•„. 

general  feature  of  their  appearance      The  «  '«";'«'^^"  eonvenient 


1 1 

■ '  i 


CHAIRMAN    OK    SUBSECTION    OF    ANTHROPOLOUT. 


13 


^ 


were  to  assert  tliat  it  is  perfect — "  Tlint  faultless  monster  that  the 
world  ne'er  saw." 


as  to 
es,  and 
nnients 
ite  sign 
ms  con- 
f  all  the 

rest  of 
;  preco- 
xplored. 
as,  even 
lierefore 
it  of  the 

is  not  ft 
■  the  hair 
nvenient 
I  in  some 
met  were 
[IS  by  no 
wellings, 

In  color 
in  "  race  " 
.cterize  it 
Vom  each 
»  from  the 
ain  tribes 
case,  that 
iffer  as  do 
(■erthelcss, 
.  of  those 
Th  the  sign 
y  with  less 
necessarily 
is  uniform 


GKSERAI-    ANCIENT    VSR   OF   THE    SYSTEM    IN    N.    A. 

The  supposition  that  tiie  systematic  use  of  signs  once  existed 
among  all  Indian  tribes  receives  snp[)ort  from  the  fact  that  in 
nearly  all  instances  where  such  existence  has  been  at  first  denied, 
finther  research  lias  discovered  the  remains,  even  if  not  tlie  prac- 
tice, of  sign  language.  This  has  been  even  among  tribes  long 
exposed  to  Euro[»ean  influence  and  olllcially  segregated  from  all 
others.  Collections  have  been  obtained  from  the  Iroquois,  Ojib- 
was,  Alaskans,  Apaches,  Zuni,  I'inuis,  I'apagos  and  Maricopas, 
after  army  oHlcers,  missionaries,  Indian  agents  and  travellers  had 
denied  tliem  to  be  possessed  of  any  knowledge  on  the  subject. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  proofs  of  the  general  knowledge  of 
sign  language,  even  when  seldom  used,  was  given  in  the  visit 
of  five  Jicarilla  Apaches  to  Washington  in  April,  18IS0,  under  the 
charge  of  their  agent.  The  latter  saitl  he  had  never  heard  of  any 
use  of  signs  among  them.  But  it  happened  that  there  was  a  del- 
egation of  Absaroka  (Crows)  at  the  same  hotel,  and  the  two  par- 
ties, from  regions  one  thousand  miles  apart,  not  knowing  a  word 
of  each  other's  language,  immediately  began  to  converse  in  signs, 
resulting  in  a  decided  sensation.  One  of  the  Crows  asked  the 
Apaches  whether  they  ate  iiorses,  and  it  happening  that  the  sign 
for  eating  was  misappreiiended  for  that  known  by  the  Apaches  for 
many,  tiie  question  was  supposed  to  be  whether  the  latter  iiad 
many  horses,  wiiich  was  answered  in  tiie  affirmative.  Thence  en- 
sued a  misunderstanding  on  the  subject  of  hippophagy,  wiiich  was 
curious  both  as  showing  the  general  use  of  signs  as  a  practice  and 
the  diversity  in  special  signs  for  particular  meanings.  The  sur- 
prise of  the  agent  at  the  unsuspected  accomplishment  of  his 
charges  was  not  unlike  that  of  a  hen  which,  having  hatched  a 
number  of  ilnck  eggs,  is  perplexed  at  the  instinct  with  which  the 
brood  takes  to  the  water. 

The  denial  of  the  use  of  signs  is  sometimes  faithfully  though 
erroneously  reported  from  the  distinct  statements  of  Indians  to 
that  effect.  In  that,  as  in  other  matters,  they  are  often  piovok- 
ingly  reticent  about  their  old  habits  and  traditions.  Chief  Ouray 
asserted  to  ine,  that  bis  people,  the  Utes,  had  not  the  practice  of 


:  g*i;R^i«'::g.3»aa^-;s»^s»'ggg^'^8gM^W'.wK''-*'M>.'"^^ 


i 
V 


^4  ADDKESS    OV   OARRICK    MALLERT, 

Sign  talk,  and  Iwul  no  n«c  for  it.  This  was  much  in  the  proml 
s  lit  in  ;i.ich  an  Englishman  wonl.l  have  .na.lo  the  san-o  stat.. 
,iont,  as  the  hlea  involve.1  an  accnsation  against  the  -v'''-^"^ 
of  his  people,  whon,  he  wished  to  a,,,.ear  h.^M.lv  advanced  AV  th- 
in  tie  an>  weeU  I  took  seven  I'tes,  nuMnhe.s  of  ti>e  dele.at.on  .hen 
"vith  Onrav,  to  the  National  Deaf-Mnte  Colie.^e,  and  they  showed 
not  onlv  iHMfeet  fannlia.ity  with,  but  expertness  in,  signs 

The  studies  thns  far  pnrsned  lea.l  to  the  conelns.on  that  at  the 
tinie  of  the  .liseove.y  of  North  Anieriea  all  its  inhabitants  prac- 
tised si.M.  laniinage,  thongh  with  .lifferent  degrees  ot  expertness  ; 
an,l  that,  while  n'n.UT  changed  circnn.stances,  it  was  ^H^''^'^  ^ 
son,e,  others,  especially  those  who  after  the  acqn.s.l.on  o  ho. s  s 
became  nonmds  of  the  Great  Plains,  retained  an.l  cnltivated  it  to 
the  high  development  now  attained. 


PERMASENCK    OK    SIGNS. 

It  is  important  to  inqnire  into   the   permanence  of  p.articnlar 
gesture  signs  to  express  a  special  idea  or  object  when  the  system 
Ls  been  long  continued.     The  gestures  of  class.c  tunes  are  std 
in  use  by  the  modern  Italians  with  the  same  s.gmflcat.on  ;  indeed 
the  forn.er,on  Greek  vases  or  reliefs,  or  in  Ilercnlanean  bronzes 
can  only  be  interpreted  by  the  latter.     In  regard  to  the  signs  of 
instructed  deaf-mutes  in  this  country  there  appears  to  be  a  per- 
Lnence  beyond  expectation.     A  pupil  of  the  Hartford  Insti  nte 
half  a  century  ago  lately  stated  that  the  signs  used  by  teac hers 
and  pupils  at  Hartford,  Philmlelphia,  Washington,  C-'-'' ^'""^^ 
an.l  Omaha,  were  nearly  the  same  as  he  ha.l  learnec  .        AN  e  st.l 
adhere  to  the  ol.l  sign  for  President  from  Monroe's  three-cornered 
hat,  and  for  governor  we  designate  the  cockade  worn  by  that  dig- 
nitary on  errand  occasions  three  generations  ago." 

Specitic  comparisons  made  of  the  signs  reported  by  the  Pnnce 
of  \Vied,  in  1H32,  with  those  now  used  by  the  same  tribes  from 
whom  he  obtained  them,  show  a  remarkable  degree  of  permanence. 
If  they  have  persisted  for  half  a  century  their  age  is  probably 
nuich  greater.  In  general  it  is  believed  that  signs,  coustitnt.ng 
as  they  do  a  natural  mode  of  expression,  though  enlarging  in 
scope  as  new  ideas  and  new  objects  require  to  be  included  and 
though  abbreviated  variously,  do  not  readily  change  in  their 
essentials. 


CHAiKMAN   or   SrnSECTION   OF   ANTiniOrOI.OQY. 


15 


I  do  not  present  any  Indinn  si}j;n8  as  jjiocisely  tliose  of  primitive 
man,  not  beinji  so  carried  away  by  entliiisiasni  as  to  suppose  lliein 
possessed  of  ininintahility  and  innnortality  not  found  in  any  other 
mode  of  human  ntteranee.  Si<!;na  as  well  as  words,  animals,  and 
plants  have  had  their  growth,  development  and  change,  their 
births  and  deaths,  iind  their  strufjjrle  for  existence  with  survival 
of  the  liltest.  Yet  when  sijjns,  which  are  [general  among  Indian 
tribes,  are  also  prevalent  in  other  parts  of  the  woild,  they  probably 
are  of  great  antiijuity.  Tiie  use  of  derivative  meanings  to  a  sign 
only  enhances  this  presumption.  At  lirst  there  might  not  appear 
to  be  any  connection  between  the  ideas  of  same  and  icife,  cxi)ressed 
by  the  sign  of  horizontally  extending  the  two  forefingers  side  by 
side.  The  original  idea  was  doubtless  that  given  by  the  Welsh 
captain  in  Shakspere's  Henry  V  :  "  'Tis  so  like  as  my  fingers  is  to 
my  fingers  ;"  and  from  this  similarity  conies  "  equal,''  "companion," 
and  suitseqnenlly  the  close  life-companion  "wife."  The  sign  is 
nsed  in  each  of  these  senses  by  different  Indian  tribes,  and  some- 
times the  same  tribe  applies  it  in  all  of  the  senses  as  the  context 
determines.  It  appears  also  in  many  lands  with  all  the  significa- 
tions except  that  of  "  wife." 

Many  signs  but  little  differentiated  were  unstable,  while  others 
that  have  proved  the  best  modes  of  expression  have  survived  as 
definite  and  established.  A  note  nmy  be  made  in  this  connection 
of  the  large  number  of  diverse  signs  for  horse,  all  of  which  must 
have  been  invented  within  u  comparatively  recent  period,  and  the 
small  variation  in  the  signs  for  dog,  which  are  probably  ancient. 


IS   THE   INDIAN    SYSTEM    SPECIAL    AND   PECULIAR  r 

While  denying  the  nniformity  of  Indian  signs,  it  is  proper  to 
inquire  whether  their  system,  as  a  whole,  is  si)ecial  and  i)ecnliar 
to  themselves.  This  maj'  be  determined  by  comparing  that  sys- 
tem with  those  of  other  peoples  and  of  deaf-mutes. 


COMPARISONS    WITH    FOREIGN   SIGNS. 

My  researches  during  several  years  show  a  surprising  number 
of  signs  for  the  same  idea  which  are  substantially  identical,  not 
only  among  savage  tribes,  but  among  all  peoples  that  use  gesture 


1^^^^r^^5^S^^SF^S?*SS^**?:T?'-i^^niS^^%-J.  ^Ss5=T':'f'^>%--'V¥'^^ 


16 


ADDRESS    OF    GARFICK    MAU.ERT, 


gigna  with  nny  freedom.  Men,  in  Sloping  for  a  mode  of  commu- 
nioution  willi  eatli  other,  and  nsinjr  tlie  same  general  nietiiods, 
have  been  nnder  many  varying  condilions  and  eireiimstances  wliieh 
have  (leterniiiied  dillerently  many  eoneeptioiis  and  tlieir  semiotic 
exeiMition,  but  there  liave  also  been  many  of  both  which  were 
similar.  North  American  Indians  have  no  special  snperstitioii 
concerning  the  evil-eye  like  the  Italians,  nor  have  they  been  long 
familiar  with  the  jackass  so  as  to  make  him,  with  more  or  less 
proi)riety,  emblematic  of  stupidity  ;  therefore  signs  for  those  con- 
cepts are  not  cisatlantic,  but  many  are  substantially  in  common 
between  our  Indians  and  Italians.  Many  other  indian  signs  are 
identical,  not  only  with  those  of  the  Italians  and  the  classic 
Greeks  and  Romans,  but  of  other  i)eoplea  of  the  Old  World,  both 
savage  and  civilized.  Tiie  generic  uniformity  is  obvious,  while 
the  occasion  of  specific  varieties  can  be  readily  understood. 

The  same   remark  applies  to  the  collections  of  signs  already 
obtained  by  correspondence  from  among  the  Turks,  Armenians 
and  Koords,  the  Ilushmen  of  Africa,  the  Fijians,  the  Redjangs 
and  Leiongs  of  Sumatra,  the  Chinese  and  the  Australians.     The 
results  of  researches  in  Ceylon,  India,  South  Atnerica  and  several 
other  parts  of  the  world,  are  not  yet  suHlcient  to  allow  of  their 
classification.     Much   interesting  material   is  expected  from  in- 
quiries  recently   instituted   through   the   medium   of  Mr.   Hyde 
Clarke,  Vice  PresicJent  of  the  Anthropological  Institute  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  into  the  sign  language  of  the  mutes  of  the 
Seraglio  at  Constantinople.     That  they  had  a  system  of  commu- 
cation  was  noticed  by  Sibscota,  in  1070,  without  his  giving  any 
details.     It  appears  not  only  to  be  known  to  ihe  inmates  them- 
selves, bnt  to  high  oHlcials,  eunuchs  and  other  persons  connected 
with  the  Sulilime  Porte.     As  it  is  supposed  that   the  Osmanli 
Sultans  followed  the  Byzantine  emperors  in  the  employment  of 
mutes,  and  that  they  adopted  them  from  Persian  kings,  it  is  pos- 
sible that  the  signs,  now  in  systematic,  though  limited,  use,  have 
been  regularly  transmitted  from  high  oriental  antiquity. 


COMPARISON    WITH    DKAF-MUTE    SIGNS. 

The  Indians  who  have  been  brought  to  the  eastern  states  have 
often  held  happy  intercourse  by  signs  with  white  deaf-mutes,  who 
surely  have  no  semiotic  code  preconcerted  with  any  of  the  plain- 


gt.  ■v>*^-^-,;;3'll.?-af»«t*?tgr?' 


CMAIUM.VN    OK    SIBSICCTION    OK    ANTlIltopoi.OdV. 


17 


J'oamors.  Wliilo  iiKiny  of  tlirir  siifiis  wt'ic  idi'iitical,  ami  all  sooner 
or  later  wore  mutually  iimlcr.stocjd.  it  U:\h  licoii  iiotiei'd  liial  llio 
sjifiis  of  tlio  (k'lif-imites  wimp  more  remlily  midorstood  l»y  tlie  In- 
dians  Mian  were  theirs  Ity  the  deaf-mutes,  and  that  the  latter 
fjreatly  excelled  in  pantomimic  elleet.  What  is  to  the  Indian  a 
mere  ailjnnct  or  aceoniplishmcnt  is  to  the  deaf  mute  the  nntiual 
mode  of  utterance.  The  '*  action,  action,  action,"  of  Demosthenes 
is  their  only  oratory,  not  uu'rc  heii;htcninj^  of  it,  howi-vcr  valualdc. 
Tlie  rcsidt  of  tiie  comparisons  is  that  the  so-called  si>i;n  lau- 
j?na<^e  of  Indians  is  not  properly  speaking  one  lan,u;ua;4e,  hut  that 
it  and  the  <!;esture  systems  of  deaf-mutes  and  of  all  peoples  con- 
stitute to!j;elher  one  lan<5ua<;o  —  the  gesture  speech  of  mankind — • 
of  which  each  system  is  a  dialect. 

GESTtJHKS    AIDING    AnOll.KOLOOIC AL    UESKAUCII. 

The  most  interesting  light  in  which  the  Indians  of  North 
America  can  he  regarded  is  iu  tiieir  present  representation  of  a 
stage  of  evolution  once  passed  throiigii  by  our  own  ancestors. 
Tiieir  signs,  as  well  as  their  myths  and  customs,  form  a  part  of 
the  paheontology  of  humanity  to  he  studied  in  the  history  of  the 
latter,  as  the  geologist,  with  similar  object,  studies  all  the  strata 
of  the  physical  world.  At  this  time  it  is  only  jiossible  to  stat(( 
that  gesture  signs  have  been  ap|)lied  to  elucidate  i)ictographs, 
and  also  to  discover  religious,  sociologic,  and  historic  ideas  pre- 
served in  themselves,  as  has  been  done  with  great  success  in  the 
radicals  of  oral  speech. 

SIGNS    CONNECTED    WITH    IMCTOGUAPHS. 

The  picture  writing  of  Indians  is  the  sole  form  in  which  they 
recorded  events  and  ideas  that  can  ever  be  interpreted  without 
the  aid  of  a  traditional  key,  such  as  is  recpiired  for  the  significa- 
tion of  the  wampum  belts  of  the  northeastern  tribes  afiil  the 
quij'pus  of  Peru.  Strips  of  bark,  tablets  of  wood,  dressed  skins 
of  animals,  and  the  smooth  surfaces  of  rocks  have  been  and  still 
are  used  for  such  records,  those  most  ancient,  and  therefore  mosf^ 
interesting,  being  the  rock  etchings;  but  the}'  can  only  be  de- 
ciphered by  the  ascertained  principles  on  which  the  more  modern 
ai/J  obvious  arc  made.     Many  of  the  widespread  rock  carvings 


ft:^gg»^a&<^gg:^g^^Egg^yja1J1ffi^?gai3gs«gg«tJl^.Mm^-.. 


I 


IS  APDUKSS   (IF   OAKUirK   MAl.I.KHV, 

iiicro   idlo  skntclirs  of  iKilunil  ol'jcctM,  niniiily  nnininls.  iiml 


:ir( 


otlnTs  !irc  iH  Htrietly  iimcinonic  its  in  the  waiiii>mn.     Hut  uIkto 
llicio  Ikis  cxislod  !i  nido  I'orni  of  firnpliic  rrpivst'iitiilioiK  mimI  at 
ni(>  sami'  lime  !i  syHlcin  of  idcoiinii.liic  •.n'sluiv  si},'ns  pivviiilcil.  it 
wniil.l  1)0  oxpcct.-l  tliMl  tl.c  lonn  ol'  Wn-  latter  wniild  appear  in  ti.« 
former.     Tiiat  lliis  is  the  laet  aiiioiKj;  NDrtli  American  Indians  will 
be  shown  in  ii  paper  to  he  read   l.efon-  llie  s.-etion  l.y  my  eollahor- 
nlor  Dr.  W .  .1.    lloHman.  .and  at   greater  len.uth  in  a  report  l.y 
myself  to  form   I'art  of  the  tirst  Annnul  Report  of  the  Hnreau  of 
i:ihnoloL\v,  now  in   press.     This  faet  is  of  jjreat  arelneoloiiie  im- 
portance, as  the  repnxinelion  of  <,'estnre  lines  in  the  pieto«.'raphs 
made  l.y  Indians  has,  for  obvious  reast.ns.  been  most,  frecpienl  in 
the  attempt    to  convey  those  snbjeetive  ideas  which  were  beyond 
th.Man-e  of  an  artisli'c  skill  limited  to  the  direct  r.-presenlation  ..f 
ol.iects.  so  that  the  part  of  the    picto^'raplis  which  is  the  most 
diillcnlt  of  interpretation  is  the  one  which  the  stndy  of  si^n  Ian- 
jiuajrc  can  elucidate.     Traces  of  the  same  sIlmis  used  by  Indians 
n.nnd  in  the  ideo.szraphic  pictures  of  the  K^m  ptians,  and  in  Chinese 
and  A/tee  characters,  arc  also  cxliibiled  by  illustrations  in  the 
Report  above  mentioned. 

IIISTOKY    OK     r.KSrrUK    I.AS<il'A(iK. 

There  is  ample  evidonee  of  record,  besides  that  derived  from 
other  sources,  that  the  systematic  use  of  {gesture  speech  was  of 
great  antiquity.  Livy  so  declared,  and  (inintilian  specifies  that 
the  "/'M-  firshis  •  *  *  (ih  illis  IcmiioribKS  hcrnirix  ortn  PKt." 
Athenivus  tells  that  oestures  were  reduced  to  distinct  classification 
with  appropriate  terminolo-;y.  One  of  these  classes  was  adapted 
by  Ilathvllus  to  pantomime. 

WhilJ  the  general  effect  of  the  classic  pantomimes  is  often 
mentioned,  there  remain  but  few  detailed  descriptions  of  them. 
Apuleius,  however,  in  his  M<'tamorj>hosi><  gives  sunicient  details  of 
the  performance  of  the  Judgment  of  Paris  to  show  that  it  re- 
sembled the  best  form  of  Tn(jdern  ballet  opera.  The  popularity  of 
these  exhibitions  continued  until  the  sixth  century,  and  it  is  evi- 
dent from  a  decree  of  Charlemagne  that  they  were  not  lost,  or,  at 
least,  had  been  revived  in  his  time.  Those  of  us  who  have  enjoyed 
the  performance  of  the  original  Ravel  troupe  will  admit  that  the 
art  still  survives,  though  not  with  the  magnificence  or  perfection, 


■  -^,,1^.  o^^-f  >=*K;Hfr=3:-?^ 


OIIAIIIMAN    OK    SiniSKCTION    OK    ANTlIUOPOMXiV. 


i;> 


«'H|n'eiiiIly  with  rcCcnMict'  to  serious  siil'jci'ts,  wliii'li  it  cxliiliili'il 
ill  till'  n^i-  of  iin|ii'i'i:il  Koiiic. 

•  ^nintiiiaii  t-iivc  most.  I'liilpoiati'  rules  for  f:;esliiii's  in  oiat.oiv, 
wliicli  aro  8|ie('iiilly  notieeiihie  from  tlie  iinporlsiiiee  iiltaeiicd  to 
the  maiiiior  of  (lispoMinji  tlie  lliijreis.  He  attiiiiuled  to  each  par- 
tieiilar  (iisposilioii  a  si^nillcaiu'e  or  siiitalileiiess  wliieli  is  iii>l 
now  olixioiis.  The  value  of  tliese  diiiital  anaiijieiticiils  is,  liow- 
over,  exiiiliited  hy  their  use  aiiioiiii  tlie  modeni  Italians,  to  whom 
tiiey  have  diicetly  desceiideij.  'I'heir  eniions  elahoration  appears 
ill  the  vt)luiiie  liy  tlu?  eanoii  Andrea  de  .lorio.  I.n  Mlinlr<i  ilnjli 
Autk'fii  iuvi'ntiijiitd  vi'l  dpHliri'  Sn^inlctauo,  ynjtoli,  lH:i2.  The 
canon's  chief  olijeet  was  to  interpret  the  <iestnrcs  of  the  ancients 
as  exhiliited  in  their  works  of  art  and  deserilied  in  their  writiiius, 
Ity  tlie  moijern  '.^I'sticnlalions  of  the  Neapolitans,  and  he  has 
shown  that  tin;  jieneral  system  of  gesture  once  |)revuiling-  in  an- 
cient Italy  is  Hulistanliaily  the  same  as  now  observed.  Willi  an 
iiiiderstandin^  of  the  cxisliii<j  laii<ina}j;e  of  <;estiire  the  scenes 
on  the  most  anci»'iit  (ireek  vases  and  reliefs  ohtain  a  new  and  in- 
teresting aiiinilleance  and  form  a  ooiinectiiig  link  between  the 
present  and  prehistoric  times. 


i;SE    »Y    MODLltN    A<  TOltS. 

Less  of  practical  value  can  be  learned  of  sign  language,  con- 
sidered as  a  system,  from  the  study  of  the  gestures  use.l  by  actors, 
than  would  api)ear  without  retlection.  The  pantoiniiuist,  indeed, 
who  uses  no  words  whatever,  is  obliged  to  avail  himself  of  every 
natural  or  imagined  connection  between  thought  and  gesture,  and 
depending  wholly  upon  the  latter,  inaUes  himself  intelligible. 
With  speaking  aetors,  however,  words  are  the  main  reliance,  and 
gestures  generally  serve  for  rliytiimic  movement  and  to  display 
l)ers(jnal  grace. 

When  many  admirers  of  Ristori,  who  were  wholly  unac(inainted 
with  the  language  in  which  her  words  were  delivered,  declared 
that  her  gesture  and  expression  were  so  iierfcct  that  they  under- 
stood every  sentence,  it  is  to  be  douliled  if  they  would  have  been 
so  delighted  if  they  had  not  been  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
plots  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  Mary  Stuart.  This  view  is  confirmed 
by  the  case  of  a  deaf-mute,  known  to  me,  who  had  prepared  to 
enjoy  llistori's  acting  by  reading  in  uilvance  the  advertised  play, 


ii 


^!Wi^!*S?S^tS!a«l5!;'Sess!SK»f  ^-iB-a&^SSS^.t  J----  V  -*»a*»  -.- 


2(1 


APIiUKx'^    i)K    tiAHUICK    MAI.I.KHV. 


l,„t  on  liis  ivM.liin-.'  ll.r  ll.riitr.-  anollu-r  piny  «hh  M.l.Htitutr.l  mikI 
1„.  n.nia  .Iniv  no  i.lrii  from  itn  i.ii.t.rntutl.)i).     A  <ii.dul  tent  on 
tl.lH  H.il.ii-«'t  wiiH  ii.n.lo  ul  ll.o  rq-ivsriilnlioi.  at  Wioliii.^'lm  li.Ht, 
April    of  Fr<»i.Frn„  l.y  Sniti  U.'inl.anll  aii.l  Hit'  .•NC'lU'iil  Krci.cli 
,.,„n,.anv  suppoilinn  i!.t.     -Srvral  iktsmms  of  sprrial  inl..lli>r..iK-o 
„„a  |,Mniliar  «ill.  Ih.-atiical   p.'iruiinal.ccs.  l.nl,  «lu.  .Inl   lu-l  iiP- 
.U.islan.l    spnlu'ii    Kinu'li,   luul  l.a.l  n.  I  Im.m.I   or   iva.l    tl..-  pla.V 
,„•  rvrn  M...n  an  abstract  of  it,  paid  rlose  attnai..n  to  aMrrtaiu 
Hl.at  Ih.v  rnnia   Irarn  of  tlic  plot  an-l  inci.ln.ts  IV..n.  tli.-  ^.■Mn.vs 
nlono.      'll.is  ooMl.l  1k'  il.'t.T.nin.Ml  in  tlic  six-cial  play  the  nioio 
ccilniniy  as  it  is  n<.l  fonnd.-.l  on  histoiic  ."vi-nts  or  any  known 
fncts.     The  n-Milt   was  tl.at,  tVon.  \hv  .M.lianci'  <.r  tin-  li.Moin.'  .Inr- 
i,,.,  11,..  (irsl  s.'.-n.-  in  a  p.'ucock-blm-  li.lin-  l.al.it  to  Ii.t  .i.'atl.  m 
,1  Mm-k  walkinn-suit,  tlneo  honrs  or  live  a.ts  later,  n..nr  ol  tl.o 
Ktmlents  fornuMl  anv  .listinct  conception  of  ti.e  plot.     Tins  want 
(,f  api.rel.cnsion  cMen.le.l    even   to  nncerlainly   whether    6VM7^ 
was  married  or  not;    that  is,  wlielh.'r  her  adventures  were  those 
„f  a  disohedienl  dan-hler  or   a    faithless  wile,  and,   H    nn.rned, 
^^\m•U  of  the  half  dozen  male  persona^.'s  was  her  In.shand.      1  h.'ro 
,vcre  .M.slnres  eiwrn-li,  inde.d  rather  a  profnsion  of  then.,  and  they 
were  Uu.ronnhly  appropriate  to  the  words  (when  those  were  nn.ler- 
stood)  in  which  fnn,  distress,  ra^e,  and  other  emotions  were  ex- 
pressc.l,  l.t.t  in  no  cases  did  they  interpret   the  motive  for  those 
emotions.      IMiev  were  the  dressinR  for  the  wonls  of  the  actors  us 
the  superb  millinery  was  that  of  their  persons,  and  perhaps  a.^te.j 
as  varnish  to  l.rin-  ont  dialo-nes  and  solilo.,nies  in  hei^d.lened 
elfcct.     l$nt  thoii-h  varnish  can  l.rin.i?  into  plainer  view  dnll  or 
faded  characters,  it  cannot  introtlnce  into  them  sijjiiilicance  where 
none  before  existed.     The  sin.i.le  fa.'t  was  that  the  -estnres  of  the 
most  famed  histrionic  school,  the  Comedie    Francaise,  were    not 
si-niilicant.  far  less  self-interpretinii;,  and  though  praised  as  the 
pe"rfeclion  of  art,  have  .11  verged  widely  from  nature. 

However  num.«rous  and  correct  may  be  the  actually  signilicant 
gestures  made  by  a  great  actor  in  the  representation  of  his  part, 
th..y  nn.st  be  in  snudl  proportion  to  the  nnnd.er  of  gestures  not  at 
all  si.n.ificant,  and  which  are  no  less  necessary  to  give  to  his 
declamation  precision,  grace  and  force.  Ilistri<mic  perlectn.n  is, 
imleed,  more  shown  in  the  slight  shades  of  movement  of  the  lu-ad, 
glances  of  the  eye,  and  poises  o(  the  body  than  in  violent  atti- 
tudes ;  but  these  slight  movements  ,ire  wholly  unintelligible  apart 


niAIUMAN    OK    HI  iiSKCriilN    OK    AN Tlirtoroi.Oli Y. 


21 


fioiii  lilt'  wonls  nllfifil  witli  tlicm.  IIm'ii  in  f|i(«  cxproMHioii  of 
sti'oiig  riiKilioii  llit>  Niiiiii'  <^(>Htiii't'  will  iipjily  to  tiiiniy  iind  iitlnly 
ilivoiHf  cuiiilitioiH  of  i'm't.  Its  lltiii'HH  coiiMisIs  III  licihif  tli  •  niiiiio 
wliicll  til"  lu'iiitT  ol'  till'  rx|)o.sil(»i_v  woids  woiiM  s|)uiil,'iiH'uiiHly 
asHiiiDt'  ir  yi('l(|iii<;  to  llic  stiiiii'  oiiiotioits.  inid  wliicli  tliciiloic  Ity 
aKsociiiliuti  ti'iiils  to  imliii't'  a  Hym|iiitlictir  yiiMiiiif,  'I'lu'  ^jiciili'st 
iic'lol  ill  telling  tliiit  Ills  I'atlicr  nan  ili'ad  i-an  coini'V  itii>  ^ricC  witli 
a  shade  ol"  dill't'iciicc  IVom  that  which  \\v  woiihl  mho  if  i»»v\))jr  that 
IiIh  will'  li:id  I'liii  awiiy,  liiM  son  liccn  ancxti'd  !ni'  iniirder,  or  liiit 
house  Inn  iK'd  down  ;  htit^  thai  shade  woidil  not  without  woids  ii|. 
t'orin  iiii\  [leisoii.  i|j;iioiaiil  of  the  sii|i|i(ised  exciit ,  \\  hieh  of  tho 
Colli'  iiiisrcrtiines  had  (icciii't'ed.  A  line  sij^n  hin^iiin^ie,  however, 
wiMihl  I'lilly  expiVMN  the  exael  ciremiiMtaneeH,  either  with  or  willi- 
out  any  exhiliition  of  tho  i;eneral  eniotion  a|i|i|n|)riate  to  tliein. 

Kveii  aiiioiii;llie  liesl  Mi^ii-talUeis,  whether  Indiitii  or  deaf-imito, 
it  is  lUH-essMiv  to  e.stalilish  sniiu'  iii/i/itirl  i(-|f4tiii!;  to  theiiit!  or  Niib- 
jeet-inalter.  siiiei^  many  ;restnies.  as  indeed  is  the  caiso  in  tt  loss 
<le^iee  with  sixiken  words,  have  widely  ditferent  si<j/li(icali()iis, 
aeeordiii;,'  to  the  ohject  of  their  exhibition,  as  well  as  the  eontcxt. 
Ualielais  (l'<nilfiijnii'U  Jiook  III.  eh.  xiv)  hits  the  tinlh  upon  this 
|ioiiit,  however  nn<rallant  in  his  iipplieation  of  it  to  lli(>  fair  sex. 
I'annifie  is  desirous  to  eonsnil.  !i  diiinli  man,  Iml  says  il  would  bo 
useless  to  apply  to  a  woman,  for  "  whatever  it  lie  that  they  see 
lliey  do  always  represent  unto  their  fancies,  and  iinajjine  that  it 
hath  some  relation  to  love.  Whatever  sijiiis,  shows  or  jjestures, 
we  shall  make,  or  whatever  our  Ite'iavior,  carria<;e  or  demeanor, 
shall  happen  to  lie  in  their  view  and  presence,  they  will  interpret 
the  whole  in  refereiic(!  to  androjrynatiou."  A  story  is  told  to  tlio 
same  [loiiit  liy  (iuevara,  in  his  fahiilons  life  of  the  Emperor  Marcna 
Aurelius.  A  youn^'  Uoinan  ffentleman  encounlerin<j;  at  the  foot 
of  Moiinl  Celion  a  lieantil'nl  Latin  lady,  who  from  her  very  cradlo 
had  lieen  deaf  ami  dniiil),  asked  her  in  gesture  what  senators  in 
her  descent  from  the  top  of  the  hill  she  had  met  with,  going  up 
thither.  .She  straightway  innigined  that  he  had  fallen  in  love  with 
her  and  was  elo(jiientl_v  proposing  marriage,  whereupon  she  at  once 
thrtnv  herself  into  his  arms  in  acce[)tance.  The  experii'iice  of 
travellers  of  the  I'lains  is  to  tlu;  stiine  general  ell'ect.  tliiil  sitrns 
commonly  used  to  men  are  understood  by  women  in  a  sense  bO 
ditferent  as  to  occasion  embarrassment.  • 


v«SlP«'y«?np-^'.--tS-S7K|SV?=  --..-'•^iss:'  ---i<3SE«'irv>v,-ai 


22 


AUDUES8    OK    GAKKICK    MALI.KUV, 


RKSII.TS    SOrc.lIT    IS    THK    STLI)Y    OF    SIGN    LANOIAGK. 

These  uv.w  be  iVnidva  into  (1)  its  pnu-ticiil  iipplicMtion.  (2)  its 
!iid  to  piiiloioj^ie  researches,  uiul  (:5)  its  areliiuologic  rehilions. 


li: 


I'RAfTICAI-      AIMM.ICATION. 

Tlie    most    obvious    ai)i)lic!ition    of  sign    language   will  for  its 
practical    utility  depend  u|)on  the    correctness  of  the  view  sub- 
mitted that  it  is  not  a  mere  semaphoric  repetition  of  motions  to 
be  memorized  from  a  limited  traditional  list,  but  is  a  cidlivable 
art,  founded    upon    principles    which    can    be  readily  api)lied  by 
travellers.    This  advantage  is  not  merely  theoretical,  but  has  ln'cn 
demonstrated  to  be  practical  by  a  professor  in  a  deaf  mute  col- 
lege who.  lately  visiting  several  of  the  wild  tribes  of  the  plains, 
made  himself  understood  among  all   of  them  without  knowing  a 
word  of  anv  of  their  languages,  and  by  another  who  had  a  similar 
experience  "in  Italy  and  sou  hern  France,     ll  must,  however,  be 
observed  that  the  use  of  signs  is  only  of  great  assistance  in  com- 
nmnicating  with  foreigners,  whose  speech  is  not  understood,  when 
both   parties  agree  to  cease  all  attempt  at  oral  language,  relying 
wholly  ui)on  gestures.     So  long  as  words  are  used  at  all,  signs 
will   be   made   only  as   their   accompaniment,  and  they  will  not 
always  be  ideographic. 


rOWlCUS    OK    SIGNS    COMrAKKU    WITH    SPKKCII. 

Sign  language  is  superior  to  all  others  in  that  it  permits  every 
one  To  limrii)  nature  an  image  to  express  his  thoughts  on  the  most 
needful  matters  intelligibly  to  any  other  person.  The  direct  or 
substantial  natural  analogy  peculiar  to  it  prevents  a  confusion  of 
ideas.  It  is  possible  to  use  words  without  understanding  them 
which  yet  may  be  understood  by  those  addressed,  but  it  is  hardly 
possible  to  use  signs  without  full  comprehension  of  them.  Sepa- 
rate words  may  be  comprehended  by  persons  hearing  them  without 
the  whole  connected  sense  of  the  words  taken  together  being 
caught,  but  signs  are  more  intimately  connected.  Even  those 
inosl  appropriate  will  not  be  understood  if  the  subject  is  beyond 


'^.-^»f«3BWwr 


CIIAIUMAN    OF    SUBSECTION    OK    ANTIIHOPO!  ()(iY. 


23 


(2)  its 
oils. 


1  for  its 
e\v  sub- 
lions  to 
illiviible 
[)lii!tl  by 
liiis  lioeu 
iiile  eol- 
•  plains, 
lowin^'  li 
a  siinihiv 
vever,  be 

in  ooiii- 
od,  when 
;,  relying 
all,  signs 

will  not 


lits  every 
1  the  most 

direct  or 
nriision  of 
ling  them 

is  liardly 
111.  Sc  pa- 
in williout 
lier  being 
Iven  those 
is  beyond 


the  oompiehension  of  tlieir  beholders.  They  would  be  ns  imiii- 
telligilile  as  the  wild  clicks  of  his  instruiiient,  in  an  electric 
storm,  woidd  be  to  the  telegrai)lier,  or  as  the  semaphore,  driven 
by  wind,  to  the  signalist.  In  oral  speech  even  onomatopcs  are 
arbitrary,  the  most  strictly  natural  somids  striking  the  ear  of  dif- 
ferent individuals  and  nations  in  a  manner  wholly  diverse.  The 
instances  given  by  Sayce  are  in  point.  Exactly  the  same  sound 
was  intended  to  be  reproduced  in  the  '•  hilbit  amphora"  of  Na-vius, 
the  '•(jlnt  t/lnt  murmtirat  uiida  sonans"  of  the  Latin  Anthology, 
and  the  '•  jmls'  of  V'arro.  The  Persian  "  bnlhal"  the  ''JhijJuij  "  of 
Gascoigne,  and  the  '' zdiihcliit"  of  others  are  all  attempts  at  imi- 
tiiting  the  note  of  the  nightingale.  Hut  successful  siirns  must 
liave  a  much  closer  analogy  and  establish  a  concord  between  the 
talkers  far  lieyond  that  produced  by  the  mere  sound  of  words. 
The  merely  emotional  sounds  or  interjections  may  be  advanta- 
geously employed  in  connection  with  merely  emotional  gestures, 
but  whether  with  or  without  them,  they  would  be  useless  for  the 
explicit  communication  of  facts  and  oiiinions  of  which  signs  by 
themselves  are  vapalile.  The  combinations  which  can  be  made 
by  signs  are  infinite  and  their  enthusiastic  teachers  may  be  right 
in  claiming  that  if  they  had  been  elaliorated  by  the  secular  labor 
devoted  to  spoken  language,  man  could,  by  his  hands,  arms  and 
fingers,  with  facial  and  bodily  accentuation,  express  any  idea  that 
could  be  conveyed  by  words.  As,  however,  sign  language  has  been 
chiefly  used  during  historic  time  either  as  a  scatfohling  aroun<l  a 
more  valuable  structure,  to  be  thrown  aside  when  tiio  latter  was 
completed,  or  as  an  occasional  substitute,  such  development  was 
not  to  be  expected. 

A  comparison  sometimes  drawn  between  sign  language  and  that 
of  the  North  American  Indians,  founded  on  the  statement  of  their 
common  poverty  in  abstract  expressions,  is  not  just  to  either. 
Deeper  study  into  Indian  tongues  has  ascertained  that  they  are  by 
no  means  so  confined  to  the  concrete  as  was  once  believetl,  and 
tlie  process  of  forming  signs  to  express  alistract  ideas  is  only  a 
variant  from  that  of  oral  speech,  in  which  the  words  for  tlie  most 
abstract  ideas,  such  as  law,  virtue,  infinitude,  and  imniortalii-, ,  are 
shown  by  Max  Midler  to  liavc  been  derived  and  deduced,  that  is, 
abstracted,  from  sensuous  impressions.  This  is  done  by  selectino- 
what  is  and  rejecting  what  is  not  in  common  to  the  concrete  ideas. 
Concepts  of  the  intangible  and  invisible  are  only  learned  through 


?'?^«?^s:?»s?^^??^;f^nsty:5£??s«ss®Ks--" 


24 


AHPRKSS    of    (iAKRICK    MAI.IXllY, 


„recei)l8  of  tnnuiblo  aiul  visil.lo  ohjocts,  wl.eUu«r  finally  oxprosscd 
to  the  eve  or  to  th.  our,  in  terms  of  si^^ht  or  of  sonn.l.     In  tlK-  nse 
of  si<Mis  tl.o  conntn.nnco  and  nK.nncr  as  woU  as  the  tonor  .lecule 
VN-l.oliicr  ol.iocts  lluMnsolvos  are  intended,  or  the  forn.s.  positions 
onalities,  and  motions  uf  other  ohjeets  whioh  are  sn-.-esl.d  ;  and 
si-nis  for  moral  and  int.dleetnal  ideas,  fonnde.l  on  analogies,  are 
cmnmon   all  <.ver  the   world   as  well  as  among  deaf-mntes       1  he 
very  concepts  oi' plumliln,  mnm.'uUnu  and  ririhtoousues..  seleeted 
bv  'Tvlor  as  the  result  of  eoml.ined  and  (•omi)aied  thonpht   whieli 
roqnires  w.nds,  ean  he  eleariy  expressed  by  signs,  and  it  ,s  not 
„n'h.rst..od  whv  those  signs  eonld  not  have  attained  their  present 
ahstrac.t  signitieanee  throngh  the  thoughts  arising  from  the  eo.nlu- 
nation  and  comparison  of  other  signs,  without  the  actual  inter- 
vention of  words.  . 

The  elements  of  sign  language  are  natural  and  universal,  hs 
rocurrin-  to  which  the  less  natural  signs  adopted  dialect.cally  or 
for   expedition    can    always,    with    some    eircnmh.cntion.  he    ex- 
„Pune.l.     This  power  <.f  interpreting  itself  is  a  peculiar  advantage 
;,ver  spoken  languages,  which,  unless  explained  by  gestures  or  in- 
dications, can  only  be  interpreted  by  means  of  some  other  spoUeu 
lan.mKre.     When  highly  cnltivate-l.  its  rapidity  on  familiar  sub- 
ject; exceeds  that  of  speech  and   approaches  to  that  ol   thought 
itself      This  statement  may  be  startling  to  those  who  do  not  con- 
sider that  oral  speech  is  now  wholly  conventional,  and  that  with 
the  similar  development  of  sign  language  conventional  expressions 
vvith  han.ls  an<l  bodv  could  be  made  more  quickly  than  with  the 
vocal  oi-ans,  because  more  organs  could  be  worked  at  once.       At 
the  sam^time  it  must  be  admitted  that  great  increase  in  rapidity 
is  chietlv  obtained  bv  a  system  of  preconcerted  abbreviations,  and 
by  the  adoption  of  absolute  forms,  in  which   naturalness  is  sacn- 
fu-ed  and  conventionality  established,  as  has  been  the  case  with 
all  spoken  languages  in  the  degree  in  which  they  have  become 
copious  and  convenient. 

There  is  another  char.icteristic  of  the  gesture  speech  that, 
thou.di  it  cannot  be  resorted  to  in  the  dark,  nor  where  the  attention 
of  the  person  addressed  has  not  been  otherwise  attracted  it 
has  the  countervailing  benefit  of  use  when  the  voice  cannot  be 
employed.  This  may  be  an  advantage  at  a  distance  winch  the 
eye  can  reach,  but  not  the  ear,  and  still  more  frequently  when 
silence  or  secrecy  is  desired.     Dalgarno  recommends  it  lor  use 


iSiSaSaSSHW'; 


2SiS..r.s>»*M»^KHp- 


psm 


CHAIRMAN   OF  SUBSECTION   OF  ANTnROPOLOGT. 


25 


in  the  presence  of  great  people,  who  ought  not  to  be  distiirherl, 
and  curiously  enough  "Disappearing  Mist,"  tiie  Iroquois  chief, 
speaks  of  the  former  extensive  employment  of  signs  in  his  tribe  by 
women  and  boys  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  warriors  and  elders, 
their  voices,  in  the  good  ohl  days,  not  being  uplifted  in  the 
presence  of  the  latter.  The  decay  of  that  wholesome  state  of 
discipline,  he  thinks,  accounts  partly  for  the  disappearance  of 
the  use  of  signs  among  the  modern  impudent  youth  and  the 
dusky  claimants  of  woman's  rights. 


IlKLATIONS   TO    PHILOLOGY. 

The  aid  to  be  derived  from  the  study  of  sign  language  in  prose- 
cuting researdies  into  the  science  of  piiilology  was  pointed  out  by 
Leibnitz,  in  his  Collectanea  Etymologica,  without  hitherto  exciting 
any  thorough  or  scientific  work  in  that  direction,  the  obstacle  to  it 
probably  being  that  scholars  competent  in  other  respects  had  no 
adequate  data  of  the  gesture  speech  of  man  to  be  used  in  com- 
parison. The  latter  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  supplied  by  the  work  now 
undertaken  by  me,  under  the  direction  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 
which  extends  to  the  collection  and  collation  of  signs  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  as  well  as  those  of  North  American  Indians. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  signs  played  an  important  part 
in  giving  meaning  to  spoken  words,  and  that  many  primordial 
roots  of  language  have  been  founded  in  the  involuntary  sounds 
accompanying  certain  actions.    As,  however,  the  action  was  the 
essential,  and  the  concomitant  or  consequent  sound  the  accident, 
it  would  be  expected   that  a  representation  or  feigned  repro- 
duction of  the  action  would  have  been  used  to  express  the  idea 
before  the  sound   associated  with  that  action  would  have  been 
separated  from  it.     Philology,  therefore,  comparing  the  languages 
of  earth  in  their  radicals,  must  henceforth  include  the  graphic 
or  manual  presentation  of  thought,  and  compare  the  elements 
of  ideography  with  those  of  phonics.    Etymology  now  examines 
the  ultimate  roots,  not  the  fanciful  resemblances  between  oral 
forms,  in  the  different  tongues ;   the  internal,  not  the  mere  ex- 
ternal parts  of  language.    A  marked  peculiarity  of  sign  language 
consists  in  its  limited  number  of  radicals  and  the  infinite  com- 
binations into  which  those  radicals  enter  while  still  remaining 
8* 


!l 


I 

IT 
I 

Hi 


i'wns9Kf)i';Wtert»»*nr.^««!^j«i«si»;^>iiw*v- 


2(]  ADDRESS    OF    r.ARlUCK    MAM.KllY, 

distim.tivo.     It  is  thoroforo  a  proper  f.oM  for  otymologio  stu.ly. 

1         possible  toa..ert.in  the  inclu.led  gesture  even  ,n  .na..y 

y,Hisl.\vonls.      Ti>o  class  ropresonte.l  hy  tlu-  .onl  s,>p,'nU>na, 

;  U  o     „r  ,o  all.l.ul  one  or  t.o  exan.ples  n.ay  he  g,ven  no.  so  o  .- 

s  an.l  n.ore  inune.lialely  conneete.l  with  the  ,os  nres  o    In- 

,•     I     /m.ec/K  .oncrally  applied  to  the  weakness  ol   oUl  .,  ,  -. 

:,,ve<l  IVom  the  Latin/.,   in   the  sense  of  on    and   /k.<v//»»     . 

.    ,r  whiehatonee   recalls  , he  Cheyenne  si.n.  for  oW  m<n<,    -/-•  • 

•  ,    he   rima  hand  a>rward,  bent  at  elbow  with  the  hst  c  used 
idcwise,  as  if  holding   a  statf.     So  tnne   appears   n.ore  neaily 

,  octel  with  the  (ireek  ..w.,  to  stretch,  wIhm,  udornn.t.on  s 
i  ,  of  the  sign  for  In.rj  inno.  viz., :  placing  the  thnn.bs  and  lore- 
is  as  if  a  snnUl  thread  were  held  between  the  tluunb  and 
^;  i^..er  of  each  hand,  the  hands  ilrst  tonching  each  other,  a.ul 
t^  n  sdowlv  nK.ving  apart,  as  if  .IMclu.cj  a  piece  oi  gnn.-elasl.c. 
Son  special  resend'lances  exist  between  the  language  o  s.gns 
and  the  character  of  the  oral  languages  found  on  tins  oontme  t. 
D  llannnond  Trnn.bnll  rennuks  of  the  compos.tun,  of  the 

•  l!  tl.t  Ihevwere  "so  constructed  as  to  be  thoroughly  selt- 
:         ,       I      nn::^iately  intelligible  to  the  hear^."     In  an<.her 

;        lion   the   vennuK    is   further   enforced.     "  ^-^^  '  '     ;%^ 

luiren.ent  of  the  Indian  languages  that  every  wor.l  s  all  be  so 

f  r.  as  to  adn.it  of  iuune.liate  resolution   to  its  s.gn.hcaut  e    - 

n   by   the   hearer.     It   ,nust  be  thoroughly  selj-aejuun,,    or 

TMax   Midler   has  expressed  it)    'it   requires   tra.ht.on     sc. 

U^v   and  literature  to  n.aintain  words  which  can   -   longer   be 

..tmu-o'     •     *     *     In  the  ever.shifting  State  of  a  no- 

^ll^ctt;:.^  debased  coin  can  be  tolerated  in  la.,gnage,  no 

obt^re   leg.MKl  accepted  on  trust.     The  n.etal  must  be  pure  and 

*1S  l«s!  liUo  those  of  higher  development,  sometimes 
ex  ibii  ;es  of  form  by  the  permutation  of  vowels,  but  of  en 

un  torporated  particle,  whether  snifix,  alUx,  or  infix  s  ows  the 
c  ynoloiv  which  often,  also,  exhibits  the  same  objecUve  con- 
cepton  that  would  be  executed  in  gesture.  There  are,  for  .n- 
s  C"  clitferent  forn.s  for  standing,  sitting,  lying,  fu  hng  and 
o  "  tl^uling,  sitting,  lying  on  or  falling  from  the  same  level  or  a 
[•Ihi;   or  iower  level.    This  resembles  the  pictorial  concept.on 

-^l:^::^^:^  tl.  same  ..ndnesstbr  demonstration 


-  «sa*dKB»^S*W'"' 


mm!y-..mim^ 


OHAIKMAN    OK    SL'HSECTION    OF    ANTIIKOrOI.OGY. 


'Jit 


which  is  necessary  in  sign  hmgnMsrp,  Tlio  two  forms  of  nttor- 
ancp  niv  aliivc  in  liicir  want  of  power  to  express  certain  words, 
siicii  as  tiie  verb  "  to  be,"  ami  in  tiie  criterion  of  organization,  so 
far  as  concerns  ii  \\\»\\  degree  of  syntiiesis  and  iniix'rfect  ditreren- 
liation,  tiiey  bear  sni»stantially  the  same  rehition  to  tiie  English 
langnago. 

It  may  be  added  that  as  not  only  proper  names  bnt  nonns  gen- 
erally in  Imlian  langnages  are  connotive,  predicating  some  atlri- 
bnte  of  tiie  object,  they  can  readily  be  expressed  by  gesture  signs, 
and  therefore  among  them,  relations  may  be  estal)lished  between 
the  words  .and  the  signs.  Such  have  also  be(;n  noticed,  especially 
by  my  valued  correspondent.  Mr.  Hyde  Clarke,  to  exist  between 
signs  and  the  words  of  old  Asiatic  and  African  languages,  show- 
ing the  same  operation  of  conditions  in  the  same  psychologic 
horizon. 


OrViSIONS    OF    GESTURE    SPEECH. 

Gesture  speech  is  composed  of  corporeal  motion  and  facial 
expression.  An  attempt  has  been  made  by  some  writers  to  dis- 
cuss these  general  divisions  separately,  and  its  success  would  be 
pr.'ictically  convenient  if  it  were  always  understood  that  their 
connection  is  so  intimate  th.at  they  can  never  be  altogether  severed. 
A  play  of  feature,  whether  instinctive  or  voluntary,  accentuates 
and  qualifies  all  motions  intended  to  serve  as  signs,  and  stron"- 
instinctive  facial  expression  is  generally  accompanied  by  action  of 
the  body  or  some  of  its  members.  But,  so  far  as  a  distinction 
can  be  made,  expressions  of  the  features  are  the  result  of  emo- 
tional, and  corporeal  gestures,  of  intellectual  action.  The  former 
in  general  and  the  small  number  of  the  latter  that  are  distinc- 
tively emotional  are  nearly  identical  among  men  from  physio- 
logical causes  which  do  not  affect  witli  the  same  similarity  the 
processes  of  thought.  The  large  number  of  corporeal  gestures 
expressing  intellectual  operations  re()uirc  and  admit  of  more 
variety  and  conventionality.  Thus  the  features  and  the  body 
among  all  mankind  act  almost  uniforndy  in  exhibiting  fear,  grief, 
surprise  and  shame,  but  all  olijective  conceptions  are  varied  and 
variously  portrayed.  Even  such  simple  indications  as  those  for 
"no"  and  "yes"  appear  in  several  different  motions.  While, 
therefore,  the  terms  sign  language  and  gesture  speech  necessarily 
include  and  suppose  facial  expression  when  emotions  are  in  ques- 


11 


^-^^S^S^a'?*- 


A^=<j-.:  j:*--'"---''^'??7"" 


2H  AUnUKSS   OF   OARRICK   MALLERY, 

tion,  thev  refer  more  particularly  to  corporeal  motions  and  atti- 
tudes "For  this  reason  much  of  the  vulunble  contribution  of 
Darwin  in  his  Fxjm-ssion  of  the  Emotions  in  Man  and  Animals 
is  not  directly  applicable  to  sign  language.  His  analysis  of  emo- 
tional gestures  into  those  explained  on  the  principles  of  service, 
able  associated  habits,  of  antithesis,  and  of  constitution  of  the 
nervous  system,  should,  nevertheless,  ahvays  be  remembered. 
The  earliest  gestures  were  doubtless  emotional,  preceding  those 
of  a  pictorial,  metaphoric,  and,  still  subsequent,  conventional 
character. 


THE    ORIGIN    OF     SIGN    LANGUAGE. 

When  examining  into  the  origin  of  sign  language  through  its 
connection  with  that  of  oral  speech,  it  is  necessary  to  be  free 
from  the  vague  popular  impression  that  some  oral  l';"^-"^^'  "^ 
the  general  character  of  that  now  used  among  mankind,  is  natu- 
ral"  to  mankind.  It  will  be  admitted  that  all  the  higher  oral 
l«n.niages  were  at  some  past  time  less  opulent  and  comprehensive 
than  they  are  now,  and  as  each  particular  language  has  been 
thoroughly  studied  it  has  become  evident  that  it  grew  out  ot  some 
other  and  less  advanced  form. 

Oral  language   consists  of  variations  and  mutations  of  voca 
sounds  produced  as  signs  of  thought  and  emotion.     But  it  is  not 
enough  that  those  signs  should  be   available  as  t«.e  vehic  e  of 
the  producer's  own  thoughts.     They  must  be  also  efficien    fo 
the  communication  of  such  thoughts  to  others.     It  has  been,    nt. 
of  late  years,  generally  held  that  thought  was  not  possible  without 
oral  language,  and  that,  as  man  was  supposed  to  hav-e  possessed 
ZL  the  first  the  power  of  thought,  he  also  from  the  farst  pos- 
nessed  and  used  oral  language  substantially  as  at  present      Ihat 
the  latter,  as  a  special   faculty,  formed    the    main  distinc  ion 
between  man  and  the  brutes,  has  been  and  still  is  the  prevailing 
doctrine.     It  may,  however,  be  doubted  if  there  is  any  moij  nec- 
essary connection  between  ideas  and  sounds,  the  mere  signs  of 
thought  that  strike  the  ear,  thau  there  is  between  the  same  ideas 
and  signs  addressed  only  to  the  eye.  .,.,„.. 

The  point  most  debated  for  centuries  has  been,  not  whether 
there  was  anv  primitive  oi.l  language,  but  what  that  language 
was      So.r.e  Ufialists  have  inueed  argued  from  the  Mosaic  nar- 


CHAIRMAN   OF   SUUSKCTION   OK   ANTHROPOLOGY. 


29 


rative  Hint  tlic  primitive  Innguiige  had  been  taken  away  as  a 
disciplinfiiy  punishment,  as  tiie  Paradisiac  Kdcn  had  been  earlier 
lost,  and  llint,  tiiPreCore,  tiie  search  lor  it  was  as  fruitless  as  to  at- 
tempt the  passage  of  the  flaming  sword.  More  liberal  Christians 
liave  been  disposed  to  regard  the  Babel  story  as  allegorical,  if 
not  mythical,  and  have  considered  it  to  represent  the  disinte- 
gration of  tongues  out  of  one  which  was  primitive.  Though  its 
quest  has  led  into  error,  it  has,  like  those  of  the  philosopher's 
stone,  of  perpetual  motion  and  of  other  phantasms  in  other  di- 
rections of  thought,  been  of  great  indirect  utility.  It  has  stimu- 
lated philologic  science,  the  advance  of  which  has  successively 
shifted  buck  the  postulated  primitive  language  from  Hebrew  to 
Sanscrit,  thence  to  Aryan,  and  now  it  is  attempted  to  evoke  from 
the  vasty  deeps  of  antiquity  the  ghosts  of  other  rival  claimants 
for  precedence  in  dissolution. 

The  discussion  is  now,  however,  varied  by  the  suggested  possi- 
bility that  man  at  some  time  may  have  existed  without  any  oral 
language.  It  is  of  late  conceded  that  mental  images  or  represen- 
tations can  be  formed  without  any  connection  with  sound,  and  may 
at  least  serve  for  thought,  if  not  for  expression.  It  is  certain  that 
concepts,  however  formed,  can  be  expressed  by  other  means  than 
sound.  One  mode  of  this  expression  is  by  gesture,  and  there  is 
less  reason  to  believe  that  gestures  commenced  as  the  interpreta- 
tion of  or  substitute  for  words,  than  that  the  latter  originated  in 
and  served  to  translate  gestures.  Many  arguments  have  been  ad- 
vanced to  prove  that  gesture  language  preceded  articulate  speech 
and  formed  the  earliest  attempt  at  communication,  resulting  from 
the  interacting  subjective  and  objective  conditions  to  which  prim- 
itive man  was  exposed.  Some  of  the  facts  on  which  deductions 
have  been  based,  made  in  accordance  with  well-established  modes 
of  scientific  research  from  study  of  the  lower  animals,  children, 
individuals  in  mental  disorder  or  isolated  from  their  fellows,  and 
the  lower  types  of  mankind,  are  of  great  interest,  but  it  is  only 
possible  now  to  examine  those  relating  to  deaf-mutes. 


CNINSTRCCTED    DEAF-MUTES. 


The  signs  made  by  congenital  and  uninstructed  deaf-mutes  are 
either  those  originating  in  or  invented  by  individuals,  or  those  of 


■^Af.c-"?^M^.-ffSi7  ■- 


30 


AUnUKSS    OK    OAKUICK    MALLEUY, 


a  coUoqninl  character  use.l  by  such  imitcs  whore  assoc.nte.l.  1  lie 
ncci.k-ntal  ..r  .n.-n-lv  sn-ficstive  signs  i)oei.liar  to  f;i.n.l.es,  one 
HUMulMT  ..r  vvlm'h  hnpiuMis  to  lu'  a  mute,  are  t<,o  .....eh  atleet.Ml  l.y 
the  other  .i.e...l.e..s  of  the  fa.nil.v  t<.  !..>  of  cerlni..  vah.e.  Ihoso. 
n.rsti...  which  are  la.isht  ii.  i..stitution8  have  hec...re  co..ve..t....ial 
«u.l  were  desifl..e.llv  a.h.ptcl  to  tra.islatio..  ii.to  oral  spee.-h,  n  - 
thonjih  fomuWd  hy  the  al.lu'.-U,  rfCpce,  followed  by  the  ubbt-  b.ca.d, 
ill  the  natural  si<i.i«  lirst  above  mentioned. 

A  <M-eat  ehanjie  has  donbtless  occuried  i..  the  estimation  of  con- 
genital <lenf-n...tes  since  the  .Ii.Htii.ian  Code  which  co.isiji.ied  the.n 
foiever  to  Ic-al  inra..cv,  as  incapable  of  i..tellijre...-e,  and  class..! 
them  with  the  insa.ic.      Yet  ...ost  modern  writers,  for  .nsta.ice, 
A.chbisli.,p  Whatelv  and  Max  Midler,  have  .leclarcd  that  .leal- 
mutes  could  ..ot  think  until  after  having  been  instructed.     It  can- 
not be  denied  that  the  deaf-.nntc  thinks  after  his  instiuction  either 
in  the  onlinarv  gestu.e  signs  or  in  the  tn.ger  alphabet,  or  ...oie 
lately  i..  artiliVial    speech.     Hy  this    instruction  he    has    becou.e 
master  of  a  hiohlv-develope.l  language,  such  as  iM.glish  or  h.e.ich, 
which  he  can' read,  write,  and  actually  talk,  but  that  fo.eign  lan- 
gua<'e  he   has  obtained   tl.ro..gh  the  medium  of  signs.      '1  ins    is 
a  conclusive  ,..-oof  that  sig..s  constitute  a  real  lang..age  a.id  one 
which  admits  of  thought,  for  no  one  can  learn  a  f...e,g..  la.iguagc 
unless  he  had  so.ne  language  of  his  own,  whether  by  descent  or 
accp.isitio..,  by  which  it  could  be  translate.l,  a..d  such  tra.islat.on 
into  the  ..ew  language  could  not  even   be   co.nmenced  ....less  the 
n,ind  had  been  already  in  actio.,  and  i..telligently  using  the  ong.- 
nal  la.."..a-e  for  that  purpose.     I.,  fact  the  use  by  deaf-...utes  of 
sicrns  ori^'inating  in  themselves  exhibits  a  creative  action  of  m.nd 
n.rd  i....ate  faculty  of  exp.essio..  beyond  that  of  ordinary  speakers 
who  acquired  language  without  conscious  ellort. 

GKSTLRES    OF    FLUENT   TALKERS. 

The  command  of  a  copious  vocabulary  com.non  to  both  speaker 
and  hearer  undoubtedly  tends  to  a  phlegmatic  delive.y  and  d.s- 
dai..  of  subsidiary  aid.  An  excited  speaker  will,  however,  genei- 
allv  .nake  a  free  use  of  his  hands  without  regard  to  a..y  etlect  of 
that  use  upon  auditors.  Even  among  the  gesture-hat.ng  hngl.sh, 
when  they  are  aroused  f.om  torpidity  of  .na.mer,  the  hands  are  in- 
voh.ntarily  clapped  in  approbation,   rubbed  with  del.ght,  wrung 


y?«;^>;iB.-:5*aiSiW5"-i.  ■'■''&**■-■ 


^ltyv;^rj^^iS*?B^.ftv^■ltf>'t(*•i■-■'Jr*^iSS^■'*•>'■' 


CIIAIUMAN    «)K    aiMHECTION    OK    ANTIIIIOI'(»I,()(;r, 


31 


\ 


in  (listrosH,  rniHod  in  astonislinicnt,  mid  waved  in  tiinmpli.  The 
flncr-rs  1110  sn:ipi)od  for  contcnii.t,  tlu-  luifliiijicr  is  vil.nitcd  to 
n'lHove  or  tliicnlfn,  and  tlic  list  shaken  in  lU-liance.  The  iiiow  i» 
contractod  witli  diNpleasmc,  and  the  p.ves  winke.j  to  sliow  eonniv- 
ance.  The  slioidders  are  Hhiiicj;ij;ed  to  express  disbeiii-f  or  repnj;- 
nanee.  the  e.vehrows  elevated  witii  snrprise.  tiie  lips  liitlen  in 
vexation  and  thrnst  out  in  snllenneH.s  or  dispieasin-e.  (inintii- 
ian  l.ceomeH  elocpient  on  the  variety  of  motions  of  wliieh  tht-  InuuU 
uloiie  are  eapalile. 

"The  aetion  of  the  other  parts  of  tlu;  liody  assists  the  s|)eaker, 
hut  the  iiands  speak  themselves.  J5y  them"  .lo  we  not  demand, 
promise,  eall,  dismiss,  tiireateii,  supplicate,  express  alihorrcnee 
anil  terror,  (juestion  and  deny?  Do  wo  not  l)y  them  express  joy 
and  soirow,  doni)t,  eonfession.  repentanee,  measure.  (|uanlily, 
number,  and  time?  Do  they  not  also  encourage,  supplicate,  re- 
strain, convict,  ailmiro,  respect?" 


NATUlfAL    PAN'TOMIMK. 

In  the  earliest  part  of  man's  history  the  subjects  of  his  dis- 
course  nmst  have  been  almost  wholly  sensuous,  and  therefore 
readily  exprosseil  in  pantomime.  Not  only  was  pantomime  siiUi- 
cient  for  all  the  actual  needs  of  his  existence,  but  it  is  not  easy  to 
imagine  how  he  conltl  have  used  language  such  as  is  now  known 
to  us.  Jf  the  best  English  dictionary  and  granunar  had  been  nd- 
raculously  fin-nished  to  him,  together  with  the  art  of  reading  with 
proper  pronunciation,  the  gift  would  have  been  vnlueless,  because 
the  ideas  expressed  by  the  words  had  not  yet  been  formed. 

That  the  early  concepts  were  of  a  direct  and  material  character 
is  shown  by  what  has  been  ascertained  of  the  roots  of  language 
and  there  does  not  appear  to  bo  much  difliculty  in  expressing  by 
other  than  vocal  'iistrumentality  all  that  couUl  have  been  ex- 
pressed by  those  roots.  Even  now^  with  our  vastly  increased 
belongings  of  external  life,  avocations,  and  habits,  nearly  all 
that  is  absolutely  necessary  for  our  i)hy8ical  needs  can  be  ex- 
pressed in  pantomime.  Far  beyond  the  more  signs  for  eating, 
drinking,  sleeping,  and  the  like,  any  one  will  understand  a  skil- 
ful representation  in  signs  of  a  tailor,  shoemaker,  blacksmith, 
weaver,  sailor,  farmer,  or  doctor.  So  of  washing,  dressing,  shav- 
ing, walking,  driving,  writing,  reading,  cluirniug,  milking,  shoot- 


,llEtv.7J,-3SMJT7, 


8S 


ADDRKflS   OF    OARIIICK    MAI-I.ERY, 


ing,  fishing,   rowing,   sailing,  sawing,   planing,   boring,  and,    in 
short,  an  endlogs  list. 

Wiiot  lier  or  not  sight  prpcodod  lioaring  in  order  of  dovclopmont, 
it   is  didkMiit,   in   conjcianring   tlie  lirst  attotni.ts  of  man  or  his 
hypotlietiral  ancestor  at  tlu-  expression  either  of  percepts  or  con- 
cepts, to  conn*-(!t  vocal  sounds  with  any  large  number  of  objects, 
but  it  is  readily  conceivable  that  the  characteristics  of  tiieir  forms 
and   movements  should   have  been  suggested  to  the  eye  — highly 
exer-'isid  before  the  tongue  — after  the  arms  and  fingers  luid  be- 
come  free  for  the  requisite  sinnilation  or  portrayal.    It  may  readily 
be  supposed   that  a  troglo.lyte  man  would  desire  to  communicate 
the  lln.ling  of  a  cave  in  the  vicinity  of  a  pure  pool,  circled  with 
soft  grass!  and  shaded  by  trees  bearing  edible  fruit.     No  sound  of 
nature  is  .'oniiccted  with  any  of  those  objects,  but  the  position 
and  size  of  '.lie  cave,   its  distance  an<l  direction,  the  water,   its 
quality,  and  iMnount.  tlie  verdant  circling  carpel,  and  the  kind  and 
height  of  the  trees  could  have  been  made  known  by  pantomime  in 
the^days  of  the  mammoth,  if  articulate  speech  had  not  then  been 
established,  as  Indians  or  deaf-mutes  now  communicate  similar 
information  by  the  same  agency. 


CONCIXSIONS. 

It  may  be   conceded    that   after   man  had  attained  to  all  his 
present  "faculties,   he   did   not   choose   between   the  adoption  of 
voice  and  gesture,  and  never,  with  those  faculties,  was  in  a  state 
where  the  one  was  used  to  the  absolute  exclusion  of  the  other. 
The  epoch,  however,  to  which  our  speculations  relate,  is  that  in 
which  he  had  not  reached  the  [jresent  symmetric  development  of 
his  intellect  and  of  his  bodily  organs,  and  the  inquiry  is,  which 
mode  of  communication  was  earliest  in  adaptation  to  his  simple 
wants  an.l  unformed  intelligence.      With  the  voice  he  c(juld  imi- 
tate distinctively  but  the  few  sounds  of  nature,  while  with  ges- 
ture he  could  exhibit  actions,  motions,  positions,  forms,  dimen- 
sions, directions  and  distances,  with   their  derivatives  and  ana- 
logues.  It  would  seem  from  this  unequal  division  of  capacity  that 
oral  speech  remained  rudimentary  long  after  gesture  had  become 
an   efflcient   instrument  of  thought   and   expression.     With  due 
allowance  for  all  purely  imitative  sounds  and  for  the  spoutaneoua 


•..ir-f.r?»e¥SJErv-S53^Se 


-^i33S3?3? 


OIIAIKMAN   OK    »rils|.;«'TION    <        vNTMKoi-       ...  v. 


.'in 


m-tiori  of  the  voi'iil  or-jiins  iiihU'r  exrii.  mont,  il  i^.^u>:l|•H  timt  Hit- 
coiiiicflioii  lictwecii  idf.'is  iiiid  wonU  i-,  dnIy  (o  \\y-  >i\|)l,iiii(><l  l.y  a 
compact  liclwccii  llio  spculvcr  iiinl  hearer  wliicli  supposes  llie  ex- 
istence of  a  prior  inixU'  of  coiiimtiiiication.  TIiIh  was  prolialiiy 
l)y  gesture,  wliicli,  in  ijie  liappy  jiliras..  of  Sayce,  "  like  the  rope- 
Itridgcs  of  the  Himalayas  ..r  the  Andes,  forined  the  llrsi  rude 
means  of  connnunication  lielween  nnin  and  man."  At  least  we 
may  },'ladly  accept  it  as  a  clew  leading'  iis  out  of  the  laiiyrinth  of 
philoloo;ic  confusion,  and  as  regniatin},'  the  immemorial  search  for 
inan'8  prialine  speech. 


